When we go to buy a new RAM memory, we almost always look only at its capacity and speed, and we leave the timings in the end. However, from now on we anticipate that they are an aspect to take into account, and in this article, we are going to explain why.

When buying the next RAM memory modules for your computer, there are a number of things to keep in mind: its generation (to be compatible with your PC), its speed (compatible with your motherboard and CPU), which suitable heatsink, that has RGB (if you want, of course)... and the timings or latencies, since, as we are going to explain below, they greatly affect the performance that your new RAM memory will have on the PC.

They Tell Us The Speed Of The RAM…

The speed of the RAM is a very easy parameter to find since it always comes both on the packaging and on a label on the memory modules themselves. In addition, once installed it is also easy to know how fast they are with software like CPU-Z or Aida64 for example, and in the same description and even in the model number of many manufacturers we can find the speed.

DDR4 is telling us the memory generation, and the same number appears just to the right of the PC, describing the same thing (DDR4 -> PC4). The next four digits indicate the speed measured in Megahertz, which is more of a marketing gimmick than anything else, promoted by both RAM manufacturers and OEM manufacturers. What that number tells us is actually the data rate, which is measured in mega transfers per second, or 10 6 data transfers per second.

In DDR memory, the clock speed is actually half the data rate (in our example, 1600 MHz), but since DDR by definition transfers data twice per clock cycle, the effective speed is the same. As a result, the figure they give us is the apparent speed, in reality.

On the contrary, the PC number (in the example, PC4 25600) shows the transfer speed but expresses it in megabytes per second (MB/s). If we multiply the data rate (in mega transfers) by the bandwidth of the I/O bus (64 bits on modern motherboards), we can determine the actual speed:

3200 megatransfers per second x 64 bits per transfer / 8 bits per byte = 25,600 MB/s

Each number independently tells us how fast the RAM is, both numbers give us the same information but in different ways. So what about the times?

What Are The Timings Of RAM Memory?

We measure the timings of RAM memory in clock cycles. RAM manufacturers typically list them in four groups of digits separated by hyphens, such as CL16-18-18-38. Since we're talking about "timeouts," a lower number means faster, and their order is what's going to tell us what they mean.

These four timings are called main and even so, they are not all that a RAM currently has. But since it is necessary to determine manufacturers' performance for marketing, these four are the ones that are offered, since otherwise the specifications would not be read by anyone from such a number that they understand.

Primer Timing: CAS Latency (CL)

The time it takes for RAM to respond to processor requests is CAS Latency (CL), but it cannot be considered in isolation as there is a formula that converts CL time to nanoseconds and is based on data transfer speed. The RAM.

As a result, slower RAM can have lower real latency if it has a smaller CL.

The Architecture Of The CPU Also Influences

Because the communication between the CPU and the RAM is carried out by the memory controller in the CPU and this is a part that has been in the processor for a long time, we also have to take into account that part of the performance at the time to fetch data from RAM or manipulate it is implicit with the architecture of each processor.

Although it is directly true that the first influencing factor is the timings of the RAM, you also have to take into account that with RAM of the same specifications, one CPU architecture can get better performance than another.

In Conclusion: You Must Take Into Account The Timings

These latencies limit the speed of RAM memory, but they are established by the manufacturer's own specifications (that is, they are not physical limitations). These latencies are enforced by the memory controller managing the RAM as a result of what the RAM profile determines, meaning they are writable (if the motherboard allows it), and we may be able to get additional performance if we overclock, adjusting these latencies in a few cycles.

Likewise, the timings are not the most important part of RAM memory as such, they are interesting to compare the performance between different modules that share the same speed, and with this, the choice will be easier. But keep in mind that lower timings will require much more performance from the IMC, so it is possible that at certain speeds we will have to adjust its corresponding voltage so that the system is stable.